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Ever since I discovered a live stream of puppies, I have been hooked on webcams. I now use them to check weather abroad, take a mental vacation by checking in on a beach on Maui or take a virtual visit to the Rover office via the RoverCam when I am working from home.

What’s even better than puppies, maui or Rover? SQUISH CAM. Squish is one of the funniest dogs I have had the pleasure of meeting. Lauren (Squish’s mom) recently put up a DropCam in their living room and what she’s caught has been priceless. Although Squish sleeps most of the day with his big brother Brando, these fine moments are some of the highlights of his time away from mom.

The 3A.M. poop: a nice gift to leave mom and dad to find right when they wake up.

The Frenchie pop-up:

The most ridiculous tongue jiggle you will ever see:

Watching Squish has made me consider getting a DropCam – you never know what you’ll witness!

I’ve always loved Etsy, but lately… I’ve become obsessed. So obsessed that it took me over two months to pick something to purchase with my $25 gift certificate because it had to be the RIGHT thing. In case you are wondering, I ended up with this.

Since I consider Gus my ‘fur child’ I put together a list of my 5 most favorite Valentines day gifts from Etsy. All of these dog themed gifts also happen to be VERY reasonable priced. Happy browsing!

Pick #2: Love Bug Heart Hat ($10). Does this need an explanation of why it is so cute? Didn’t think so!

Pick #3: Twinkle Hearts Dog Collar ($16.00) You are sure to get compliments if your pup sports this. Etsy has some AMAZING dog collars, and I refuse to buy them anywhere else.

Pick #4: Pumpkin Heart Shaped Dog Cookies ($10). I’m not going to lie… these look like something I’d buy for myself! I’m a big fan of fancy cookies for special occasions for Gus. His birthday is coming up and fancy cookies are surely on the list!

Pick #5: Heart ID Tag ($7.50) This tag is simple, cute and customizable to your dog’s name and phone number. Almost the same price as those you can get at major pet retailers – but 10 times cuter!

I’ve started an annual tradition of hosting a pet food and supplies drive to benefit The Doney Memorial Pet Clinic and this year was even better than last year! I donated the items yesterday and the reaction of the recipients is what motivates me to do this every year. People are so appreciative for the donations – the claps and cheers give me chills.

Seattle DogSpot recently posted an article about my drive which you can read about here. In addition, Rover.com was also kind enough to do a blog post to spread the word about less fortunate residents in Seattle. These two wonderful Seattle based companies genuinely care about all things dog and what a privilege it is to work with (and for!) them.

Thank you to all who donated or gave words of support. This cause is near and dear to my heart and I couldn’t have done it without you.

Gus’ BFF Squish works for P.L.A.Y. and they just released this awesome mustache bed. There is only a limited quantity so you better check them out! ALSO, if you purchase one, you can use the promo code HANDLEBAR to get a free small ECO Bone.

We recently purchased two beds from P.L.A.Y. and I can guarantee you they have been the best investments I have made for Gus’ beauty sleep.

It’s been hot here in the Seattle area, and Kenzo, one of my Rover dogs was struggling with the heat. With some leftover treats, a cupcake pan and/or small bowls and water, I made a nice cool treat for the pups to enjoy.

What you will need:

Water

Dog treats, the smaller the better

Cupcake pan, or small bowls

Freezer!

Step 1:Place the treats in the pan. I tried to break them up a little bit to make them evenly spread when frozen.

Step 2: Fill the pan with water to cover the treats. Some may poke out the top, that’s ok 🙂

Step 3: Freeze. Put the pan in the freezer until fully frozen.

Step 4: Remove the tray from the freezer once frozen, let sit for about 30-60 seconds, pop the pupsicle out.

Step 5: ENJOY!! If you want to make a larger frozen treat, try using a cereal bowl or reusable lunch container.

Gus is prone to ear infections. They first started after our camping trip last Labor Day weekend when we were down on the beach in Oregon. We came back and his left ear had mucus and an odor which prompted me to take him to the vet. I like to keep Gus active so we regularly attend BT meetups and a lot of the meetups take place in sandy areas or large, loose dirt enclosed fields which make keeping his ears clean a challenge. Now, after we come back from Boston Terrier Meetups, I usually give Gus a bath to clean him up and look presentable again!

It is commonly known that you want to avoid getting water down your dogs ears when giving them a bath. For a dog with such large ears that stand up straight, that is not an easy task. One day, a brilliant idea hit me and I’ve used this ever since: cotton balls! I wedge one cotton ball gently into each of Gus’ ears which prevents water from rolling into them. Once the bath is over, simply pull the cotton swab out and toss. Sometimes, if a little water makes the cotton swab damp, I use it to wipe any dirt out of his ears then follow up with his prescription ear cleaner. A simple trick which makes routine pet care that much easier.

Maggie

My very first booking through Rover.com was with Maggie, the Dachshund. As I had only watched the dogs of friends and family, she was the first dog who was completely new to me. I picked her up from her home and she rode shotgun the whole way home, immediately making her feel like my co-pilot who would warn me of any dangers along the way.

She was challenging. She hated wet grass. It rained the week I had her.

She liked to pull on the leash. She saw a bird and slipped out of her harness and ran all the way back to my front door.

By no means was she easy, but it put things into perspective for me. To be a successful, careful dog sitter I needed to take extra steps to make sure the dog was comfortable, and safe in my home. I immediately got her a new (adjustable) harness, and started taking her to areas with trees where the grass beneath was somewhat dry. Success.

As an old lady, she mainly hung out under my desk at work, and sleeping could have been considered her favorite hobby. When her stay with me was over, her family was so thrilled with the photos I sent and could really tell Maggie had a nice time. A few months later, Maggie’s owner wrote to let me know she was unable to make it out of an illness and had passed away. Such a great sadness I felt. Not only did I feel sadness for Maggie’s owner, I felt sadness myself thinking back on the bond that was formed with her, and every other Rover dog I host.

Oscar

As I took college classes with Oscar’s owner, I had seen photos of him for quite a while but had never met him until Michelle needed a dog sitter. Oscar was by far the largest dog I have hosted. A gentle giant of a Boxer he was a pleasure to have over with his dog-brother Beau. The two dogs were inseparable. On walks, they were side by side. On the couch, they were side by side. They even shared a crate. Since oscar was older, he mainly spent his time on the couch or resting. Gus grew very close to Oscar and often chose to share the same couch cushion as him. Oscar was a nice, warm cuddle buddy and Gus always loves a good snuggle.

After hearing of Oscars passing this week, it brought back the same sadness I experienced with Maggie. I thought of the special bond between Oscar and his owner and thought of how much Gus bonded with him as well.

Through dog sitting, I feel honored to be able to provide the same love and attention to dogs as they receive at home. If anything, I feel lucky that the owners choose me to share their dog with. I always form a bond with the dog no matter the challenges or frustrations I may experience and each and every dog has filled a special spot in my heart which, when their time comes, will be missed just as much as my own.